The Year After
by Official Scroll Keeper
Summary: It's been a year since that Christmas when Annie and her friends put Ms. Hannigan away and she was adopted by Daddy Warbucks. Will Daddy Warbucks continue to invite an orphan to his home for Christmas every year now that he has Annie?


So I was sitting there after I watched the movie (the newer Annie, not the one with the curly red hair or what not) and I was like, well what happened the next year at Christmas? Would Mr. Warbucks still invite an orphan to his house for Christmas? I mean he was engaged and married to Grace and well he had Annie now, but would he still give one orphan some Christmas hope and cheer? Well I guess we will find out what happnes.

I already have an idea for a sequel…

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own anything to do with Annie, Daddy Warbucks, Grace, or anything else.

I do own Mitch though…who is Mitch you may ask? Read on and find out.

* * *

**Chapter 1: Christmas Time Again!**

Annie followed Grace into Daddy Warbucks' office and went around behind his desk. He was on the phone with the president and was once more inviting him to dinner for Christmas. Annie gave him a hug then went around to the front of the desk and sat down in one of the large chairs.

When Daddy Warbucks finished his phone call he turned to Grace. "How are you my dear?" He asked, for they had been married previously that year, in April. It was a year after Daddy Warbucks had adopted Annie.

"I'm doing well. What did the president say?" Grace asked her husband. At first it had been hard for some of His clients to accept that fact that he had married a Black woman. It just wasn't done. However when they saw how very much in love they were, they could not deny they were one of the happiest couples they had ever seen.

"He said he'd be delighted to come spend Christmas with us again, as long as we don't get the FBI involved in finding another orphans parents. Apparently it caused quite a stir last year right at Christmas and the families of the FBI agents were not too thrilled with them missing Christmas Eve festivities." He chuckled. "I told him there would be no FBI agents involved this year."

Annie laughed and then looked up at Grace then Back at her Daddy Warbucks. "Well I had an idea. I was thinking of how fun last year was and how glad I was to be able to spend Christmas in a real house. A big house if I might add." She smiled amused at her description of the house the year before.

He smiled as well then nodded for her to go on.

"Well I was thinking, maybe we could have another orphan over for Christmas this year. Perhaps a boy this time. I know how disappointed you were last year, to discover you were to have a girl over for Christmas."

Daddy Warbucks sighed and looked up at Grace. "Are you endorsing this idea?" He asked her.

She nodded. "Of course, I thought it was a wonderful idea. This year however, maybe you should pick out the orphan, I did mess it up a little last year, bringing home a little girl."

He laughed. "I will help pick out the orphan, but Annie gets the final say in the matter. Is that alright with you?" He asked looking at his daughter fondly.

She smiled and nodded. Then she jumped out of the chair and raced to give him and Grace both hugs. "I can't wait. When will we go pick out this orphan?" She asked.

"Well Christmas is only a week away." Stated Grace. "How about right now. There's no time like the present." She said looking from her daughter to her husband.

He laughed his booming laugh and then nodded. "Let's go get our coats. Will we be taking the car?"

Annie looked at him and shook her head. "Oh, let's not. We're not really sure where we are going anyway, and the chauffer seems tired. Let's give him the day off, ok?" She asked pleadingly.

"Well alright, as long as we bundle up tightly and stay warm we can walk. Is it snowing outside?" He asked.

"I don't think so." Grace said. She asked for their coats and they were soon on their way out the door and through the gates.

Once they were out on the street they walked aimlessly, but not carelessly. They wondered where to find an orphanage. The one Annie had been at was for girls only, so they didn't bother trying there. Annie had helped pick the new caretaker of it and already she was doing a better job than Ms. Hannigan.

As they were walking Annie saw a man selling roasted corn. "Oh." She stopped and took out her little purse she'd been given as a gift on her birthday. It was for her allowance which was not very big. She didn't want it to be. She'd insisted it only be $2 dollars a week at the most. She pulled out a nickel and walked over to the man.

"Sir," she told him, "last winter I stole one of your roasted corn. I'd like to pay you back. I'm sorry I did it. You see I'd runaway from an orphanage last year and I didn't have any money for food. Here you go." She handed him the nickel and turned back to Daddy Warbucks and Grace. "Alright, we can go now." She told them.

"Little girl," said the street vendor.

"Yes?" Annie turned around to look at the man.

"Most folks wouldn't be so generous as to pay someone back when they didn't have to. I didn't even notice what you'd done last year. Would you like a roasted corn?" He asked reaching a corn cob out to her.

She shook her head. "No thank you. I just needed to pay you back is all. I'm glad I got to see you hear because I was starting to worry. I hadn't seen you hear all year so I figured I'd never get the chance to pay you back." She shrugged.

"I only sell roasted corn during the winter, to make a few extra bucks so I can buy Christmas presents for my family. I'm sure they will be very grateful to you."

She smiled. "You have kids?"

He nodded.

"How many? How old are they?"

"Well I have two little girls, one about your age and one who is 5. They also have a brother who is about 7."

Annie smiled and reached back into her purse. She dug out everything that was in the little purse and counted it. "I have here. $3.95 and I would like three cobs of roasted corn for it."

His face was suddenly serious. "That is very kind of you young lady. However I cannot accept. That is too much money."

"In my opinion the corn is so good it is worth 3.95. So do I get my corn?" She asked, holding out the money in her hand.

The man's eyes went up to Daddy Warbucks face. Daddy Warbucks seemed to see a question in the mans face that asked what he should do. Daddy Warbucks nodded to Annie and the money and then back at the man. _Take it._

The man nodded and took the money then handed Annie three of the roasted corn. "If you ever need another roasted corn you come back here and get it for free. Understand?" The man asked Annie.

She smiled and nodded. Then waved goodbye and turned around. Over her shoulder she called, "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas!" Cried the man. He was glad he could afford a little more for his family this year.

As he was putting the money away in his pocket a boy ran up and grabbed a handful of corn. Then ran off in as fast as he could in the direction Annie had taken, coincidently.

"Hey. What are you doing?!" the Man shouted then pointed. "Police, that boy, he stole from me! He does it every year!"

A police man came up to the Man who sold the corn and asked what was happening then ran after the boy pushing through the crowd.

Annie turned at the sound of commotion behind her and her parents. "What's going on?" She asked Daddy Warbucks. He looked over the heads of the crowd and saw a boy pushing his way through the crowd. He pushed Annie and Grace towards the shops that lined the sidewalk so they would be out of the way. Then he stood in the middle of the sidewalk and made himself appear as big as possible, blocking the boys way.

The boy who'd had is head down running at full speed looked up and tried to veer out of the way but didn't make it quite soon enough. He rammed into Mr. Warbucks and they both tumbled down onto the sidewalk. They wrestled there for a minute while Daddy Warbucks held onto the boy so he could not get away.

"What are you doing and why are you running? Daddy Warbucks asked the youth when they were both standing on their feet again. He had a hold on the youths collar and Daddy Warbucks could feel how thin and threadbare, this boy's shirt was. He was wearing shoes that were almost unrecognizable as shoes. His pants were floods and suddenly Daddy Warbucks had a flashback to his past. He remembered cold winter days such as these, with nothing to keep him warm. He'd finally saved up enough by selling newspapers to get himself some new shoes.

"I'm not doing nothing." The boy grumbled.

This brought Daddy Warbucks back to the present. "Of course you're not." He replied, but with sarcasm in his voice.

The officer that had been chasing the boy, caught up very much out of breath. "Thank- thank you sir." He looked at Mr. Warbucks respectedly then took the youths shirt collar from him and turned the boy towards the wall so he could cuff him.

Annie was in the way and looked at the boy in a determined way. She glanced at the ground now littered with the corn. "Are you an orphan?" She asked him.

"Annie, come on. You are in the officer's way." Daddy Warbucks said.

"Hold on." She told her father. "Well, are you?" She asked the boy.

He sighed and nodded. "Living on the streets suits me better than that crummy orphanage I ran from."

The officer laughed bitterly. "It also turns you into a delinquent."

Daddy Warbucks was miffed at this comment. "Not always. I was an orphan on the streets of New York once. Look how I made out." He gestured to his attire and Annie's and Grace's.

The officer glanced at him and shrugged. "Sorry Sir."

Annie still hadn't moved and was not planning on doing so anytime soon.

"What's your name?" She asked the boy.

"Mitchel. People call me Mitch." He hid his eyes behind his shaggy bangs of brown hair, but Annie could see they were blue and they were ashamed of what he had done. It was not done with cruel intent but out of necessity. His shirt hung from his frame and she saw how skinny he was. He needed food to stay alive like they all did and he obtained any way he could, so he could stay alive.

"How old are you Mitch?"

"I'm fifteen. Why?"

Annie ignored his question and turned to Daddy Warbucks. "Can we take him?" She asked.

He looked at her surprised. Grace's mouth hung open in shock. She quickly closed it and examined this boy more closely.

He was at least a foot taller than Annie, if not more. He had brown hair that hung into his eyes with a cap on his head. He wore a scruffy looking shirt that perhaps was once white, as well as brown pants that were floods.

"Wait take me where?" He asked now, slightly alarmed.

"Yeah, take him where?" The Officer who had custody over Mitch asked.

"Well each year I invite an orphan to my house for Christmas." Daddy Warbucks sighed. He looked at Annie who had a determined glint in his eye. He knew that even though he did not want this ruffian in his house because he was likely to steal something, knowing he would not be there for long, he would lose the battle. So he turned to the boy and asked, "would you like to com stay at my house for Christmas this year?"

The boy hesitated, studying the three people before him.

"Well it's either that or this officer takes you to a detention center and then on to court for stealing." Daddy Warbucks said in a tone that told the boy to take the offer. It was a reasonable one that would get him out of trouble.

The boy still looked suspicious and cautious but nodded his head and waited for the policeman to let him go. He did so reluctantly.

The boy tensed. He had the chance to run right now. Should he take it, what would these people do if he tried it? Mitch decided against running for now. Perhaps after they got to the house and he'd had a square meal he would run away.

Grace, Annie, Daddy Warbucks, and Mitch began walking back in the direction they'd come from, towards home.

* * *

When they got to the house Annie turned to look at this new house guest. "What do you think?" She asked when she saw him staring wide-eyed at the house.

He could only nod and they made their way into the foyer. "Who have we here?" asked their Butler. As he took their coats.

"This is Mitch." Answered Annie. "Mitch this is our butler, Mr. Perotzi."

Mitch looked at the butler and then ignored him looking at the huge staircase and the grand piano. His gazed softened as he saw the piano. He could remember very little from his past, but he did remember his mother playing the piano in their grandmother's little cottage before they moved to New York.

Annie looked at him and then towards the piano. "Do you play?" She asked him.

He blinked and then turned to her. "No." He stated, a little coldly.

She smiled then asked him what he'd like to do first.

_Why does she look so happy? I mean other than the fact that she is rich and probably has never worked a day in her life…although she looks nothing like her father…perhaps her mother was a red head. In any case, I wish she just leave me be._

"I'd like to eat, I haven't had much to eat this past week."

She nodded then laughed.

"What's so funny?" He asked, miffed, figuring she was laughing at him.

"Oh, I'm sorry, it's just that when I first got here I said I clean the windows and then the floors." She paused to catch her breath. "You are much more sensible."

"I ought to be." Now he was confused. "So when did you come here?"

"Oh only last year." She said as she motioned for him to follow her to the kitchen. "I was the orphan chosen to stay with Daddy Warbucks last year."

"Oh…and you're still here?" He asked following her.

"Well, yeah, he adopted me. Luckily, or Ms. Hannigan would've punished me good when I got back. She was the lady who ran the orphanage I was at."

"Oh." _Okay so her life story is a little different than I thought at first._

They reached the kitchen and Annie started some water boiling after saying hello to their chef.

"What's for supper Louie?" She asked while she waited for the water to boil.

"Tonight, broccoli cheese soup." The plump chef stated in his Italian accent. "For Christmas more than you can imagine. I am even making my prize winning roasted duck this year!" He exclaimed.

"Wonderful. I look forward to it." She said than turned back to the pot. When she began to see little bubbles she walked over to a pantry door and opened it. She reached inside and grabbed some noodles. "Will spaghetti be fine?" She asked Mitch, who'd been quietly sitting on a stool near the island counter.

He nodded. "So do you go to school?"

She shook her head. "I begged Daddy Warbucks to let me go to a public school but he decided it would be better for me to have private lessons. He said I was probably pretty far behind in the curriculum since I'd never had schooling a day in my life. I told him at least I could read." She giggled remembering.

Mitch stayed silent and leaned his arms on the counter. Than he stared at his reflection in the marble.

Some while later Annie poured the noodles into a strainer and then put them onto two plates. She'd warmed up some spaghetti sauce and she poured this over the mounds of spaghetti. Then she took the grinder full of parmesan and ground up the parmesan over the two plates. Then she took the plates over to a small table surrounded by a few chairs and set them down. She went around the island and grabbed two forks and two glasses full of water then went back to the table and put them in their places.

"The foods ready." She pointed out to Mitch since he hadn't moved since about 30 minutes ago.

Mitch shook his head to clear his thoughts and then turned around. "Ok." He went over and sat at the table to eat.

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Ok so I know I should be updating my other stories but I wanted to post this. I don't know maybe I should post this chapter and update the other stories…tomorrow. I guess and I can write the chapters tonight. Yeah alright sounds good that's my plan. So yeah R&R please. Let me know what you think of the idea, etc.

Thankies!

OSK


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